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7.5 / 10
SCORE Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Pros Same One UI 8 experience as Galaxy S25 at lower price
Same slim shape as the S25 Plus
Fast charging with good battery life Cons Scratches easily
Gets warm to the touch on intensive tasks
Mixed photography performance
When I needed to negotiate with my internet provider after seeing a sudden $30 price hike, Samsung's $650 Galaxy S25 FE sure came in handy. The phone's AI suite -- which in this case includes Samsung's Text Call feature -- allowed me to skip the awful voice-activated menus of Astound Broadband that never seem to understand me. Instead, I could text my way through these menus, and Samsung's own robotic voice would do the talking for me, saving my eardrums from listening to repetitive voice dialogs. This isn't the first time this has happened, and the possibility is even highlighted in CNET's review of Astound Broadband. But that doesn't make it any less horrifying to see my internet bill had increased from $61 to $91 with little warning.
When I started testing the Galaxy S25 FE two weeks ago, I did not expect Text Call to be the feature that I was going to spotlight, but having access to this and other flagship-level features for less than the $799 Galaxy S25 has always been a key selling point for the FE series.
Texting Astound my intention to cancel my service with the Galaxy S25 FE's text call feature is much easier than praying for the voice activated menu to understand me. Mike Sorrentino/CNET
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